Poland's deputy PM latest to feature in 'waitergate' affair

A wire-tapping affair that shook Poland's erstwhile government has touched a member of the current Law and Justice Cabinet, with a magazine publishing illicitly recorded comments on Monday.

Wicepremier Mateusz MorawieckiFoto: PAP/Marcin Obara

The Polish edition of Newsweek asserts that the recording in question, which features current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Mateusz Morawiecki, was made in April 2013 at Warsaw's Sowa i Przyjaciele (Owl and Friends) restaurant.

Morawiecki, who was chairman of Bank Zachodni WBK at the time, was apparently considering taking up an offer to join the then government, which was headed by Donald Tusk of the centrist Civic Platform party (Tusk is currently President of the European Council).

According to Newsweek, Morawiecki praised Civic Platform's economic policies, and confirmed his “absolutely positive” opinion of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

As with recordings involving former foreign minister Radosław Sikorski, Morawiecki's comments are peppered with colourful language, in this case reserved for the younger generation.

“We work our arses off and do all the f***ing spadework,” he reportedly said, before bemoaning that younger Poles have a different attitude.

“I see a dangerous phenomenon in this younger generation," he continued.

“Expectations. They don't do anything but expect to make a lot money, right?”

Waiters being investigated by public prosecutors claim that further recordings of Morawiecki exist. However, according to Newsweek, these have yet to be traced. (nh/pk)